This invention relates to the art of working platforms for supporting persons performing work on structures, and more particularly to a new and improved work platform installed below the deck or roadway of a bridge or next to a building or other structure. It is necessary to periodically clean, repaint, and rehabilitate the surfaces of steel bridges to prevent corrosion and deterioration of the steel supporting structure. This, in turn, creates the need to provide a safe and effective support for workmen performing the cleaning and painting of the surfaces beneath the deck or roadway of the bridge, along with concrete removal. In addition, environmental concerns and regulations give rise to the need for containing the debris from the cleaning operation as well as paint residue and spillage. A number of work platforms for bridges have been proposed, but many are complex structures and time consuming to erect and dismantle. Other prior art platforms are not sufficiently rigid or are limited in height, i.e., the distance between platform flooring and bridge steel structure, due to the manner in which they are attached to the bridge. Some prior platforms extend for only a short distance longitudinally of the bridge and are limited in that respect.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a new and improved work platform for use on bridges which is safe, provides a sufficiently rigid support for workmen standing and walking thereon, which is simple in structure, light in weight, and therefore quick, easy, and economical to erect and dismantle, extends for a significant portion of the length of the bridge, and which is effective in containing debris from the cleaning and painting operations performed on the bridge.
A typical bridge includes a deck or roadway and steel structure therebelow which is supported on spaced-apart concrete abutments or piers or other structures. It would be highly desirable to provide a work platform which can be connected to such bridge structures with the platform in an optimum work position (even on bridges with skewed or angled sections).
It also would be highly desirable to provide a work platform wherein platform flooring panels are secured in place in a safe yet easily removable manner.
It would also be highly desirable to provide a work platform wherein debris may be removed therefrom easily and effectively.
It would further be highly desirable use corrugated panels but such as to provide a flat floor surface on workers to work on yet such that the panels are compactly stackable for storage and transport.
In accordance with the present invention, a work platform is provided for use on bridges wherein a plurality of cables extend along a section of the bridge in spaced relation below the deck or roadway and steel support structure of the bridge, which cables are supported at opposite ends by either the steel support structure of the bridge or by the spaced-apart vertical piers of the bridge, and wherein a plurality of platform flooring panels or sections are supported on the cables, extend laterally of the cables, are arranged side-by-side along the section of the bridge such as between the piers and are removably secured to the cables.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, means are provided for adjusting the height of the platform and the positions or spacings between the cables.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, platform flooring panels are corrugated to maximize the strength-to-weight ratio of the platform flooring. Flat cover members are hingedly connected to the panels to cover the corrugations respectively so as to provide a flat surface for walking on while allowing the panels to be compactly stacked.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, Each of the platform flooring sections is releasably connected at spaced locations to the supporting cables on which it rests. This is provided by connector assemblies comprising a first part which engages the upper surface of the flooring section and the cable and a second part which engages the upper surface of the flooring section, the two parts being removably connected together through a small opening in the flooring. As a result, individual flooring sections can be removed to provide access through the flooring in emergency or critical situations while at the same time allowing the remainder of the flooring to retain collected debris. One embodiment of such a connector assembly has a manually operated lever for selectively placing the connector assembly in clamped or unclamped positions relative to the cable and flooring section.
The foregoing and additional advantages and characterizing features of the present invention will be clearly apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.